Sunday, November 28, 2010

Damn it! My birds just caught a beat down in Chi town. Lovie had his boys ready to play.We are still tied for first so Iwon't trip.

So anyway, some folks are calling out NPR's Terry Gross and drawing Juan Williams comparisons after her recent Jay Z interview. I will give you a cut and paste job as an example:

"Let’s begin with the premise that no people, culture, religious, racial or ethnic group is by definition immoral. Not acknowledging this, at the core, is the problem with Juan Williams’ gross generalization about Muslims that recently got him fired from National Public Radio (NPR). But if NPR’s “Fresh Air” interview last week with the rapper Jay-Z about his new book Decoded is any indication, it’s a message still lost on Terry Gross.

To be sure, Juan Williams revealed his bias by openly expressing his personal opinion. Terry Gross didn’t do that. Instead the bias is more subtle and insidious and lurks in the line of questioning.

While not as shocking as the obvious blanket condemnation Juan Williams advanced, the Terry Gross/ Jay-Z interview is even more problematic because it illuminates a tendency pervasive in today’s news media. This is a moment in which Blacks can be embraced and promoted at the same time that their humanity is dismantled—all in a 30-second sound bite.

Throughout her interview with Jay-Z, Gross kept returning the discussion to those places that reinforce the idea of Black culture as immoral and Black people as corrupt and/or corruptible. Such anti-Black arguments that once lived primarily in conservative public policy debates have now worked their way into national culture (especially in film, television, news media and politics) to the degree that these views are now widely accepted as the norm.

In short, racial disparities in education, unemployment, criminal justice, wealth-building, and more are rooted in Black cultural failing alone. As this logic prevails, it’s impossible to gain traction on any targeted policy solutions regarding the problems disproportionately facing Blacks.

President Obama realizes this. Hence his colorblind politics, a policy approach that anti-racist activist Tim Wise documents in detail in his new book, Colorblind. However, one wonders to what extent even liberal journalists like Terry Gross realize they are collaborators.

To grasp the full extent to which Gross emboldens conservative ideas about race, one should listen to the entire 45-minute interview. For now, let this brief exchange illustrate the point,

GROSS: Your father left when you were very young. And you say that most of your friends’ fathers had left. You say, “Our fathers were gone, usually because they just bounced. But we took their old records and used them to build something fresh.” That’s really interesting that one of your things that your father leaves behind that you can use is his records.

JAY-Z: Yeah, I guess there’s a bright side to everything right?

GROSS: Yeah, well, that’s one way of looking at it.

Any great interviewer—and Gross is at the top of her game—knows the role he or she plays in the outcome. Part of the science is in framing the questions.

The advancing of conservative rhetoric about Blacks persists, whether Gross is bluntly asking Jay about crimes he committed 15 years ago (crack sales and assault), or inquiring about his mother’s parental decisions: “You ended up selling crack and helping your mother, as a single mother, support the family. Did she know that’s how you were making the money?”

What’s the takeaway message? That Jay’s mom was a single parent that made poor choices, let her teenage son sell drugs and is unprincipled because she knows the money he’s using to support the family comes from drug sales. It’s a narrative we’ve heard from the Republican Revolution of 1994 to the recent well-financed media blitz that resulted in the mid-term shellacking of the Democrats.

And Terry Gross never goes off message. In a nearly hour long interview with a self-made record executive mogul and entrepreneur worth at least half a billion, on the occasion of the publication of a book he deems a coming of age story for his generation, the most pressing questions on the table range from insight into drug dealing to why rappers grab their crotches? "[More]

In a way, I understand what my friend Bakari is saying. But isn't Jay Z the wrong subject to use to make this point? Jay Z is a rapper who made his bones glorifying his street cred from his "hard knock" beginnings. Terry Gross couldn't totally ignore who the rapper is. Still, I found myself agreeing with the author' general point about liberals and about A-merry-can journalist in general.

Terry Gross doesn't get a pass, because I know where she is coming from, and believe me, it isn't a good place.

81 comments:

The corporate media exists to promote endless diversions. They constantly shine their light on small time street criminals while War, Inc. loots the treasury to the tune of trillions in broad daylight, yet safely out of their sight.

anon 9:22, uh...what? Like any other Democrat is going to change this? And like any Republican won't make it 10x worse? McCain is bloviating about "regime change" in North Korea, like he can't even remember losing the 2008 election.

Keep in mind, some of us are actually trying to find ways to fix the culture problems blacks suffer from (I don't blame blacks for them, I think white liberals are the problem).

Did you know my ancestors were beaten, raped, driven across the desert, had their land stolen from them multiple times, gave up a legitimate claim on Northern California--all because they were Mormons?

Did you know Mormons were discriminated against for a long time?

And yet, we managed to build our own communities, and so did you.

Black society hit it's apex in the late 1950s--despite the horrors of segregation and discrimination.

Then they met the (heavily southern-influenced) white progressive movement. Tell me, did blacks benefit from this? Your society and culture disintegrated. . .that doesn't happen by itself (this is why I think white liberals in the 60s, not blacks, are at fault).

Modern "liberal" attitudes about blacks are what I call "compassionate racism"; the idea that some people are just too stupid, too scared by the past to ever make their lives work. Thus, they must be taken care of like children.

(And yes, I see the irony--right-leaning people and left-leaning people both accuse the other of being racist these days).

Ernesto, "anon 9:22, uh...what? Like any other Democrat is going to change this? And like any Republican won't make it 10x worse? McCain is bloviating about "regime change" in North Korea, like he can't even remember losing the 2008 election."

Well, that's how Obama got elected. "CHANGE"...but he is just like all the others. Imo, he is worse because he has ignored the suffering of Blacks. He has acted as though we don't exist. At least Bush acknowledged us.

Black people managed to improve their lot in life under the most adverse of circumstances. . .yet now things can only get better if other people act?

Know how we import too much, and that makes us feel poorer from jobs leaving the U.S.?

That's called a trade deficit. Poor blacks are stuck in the same situation, only even worse. You cannot fund an economic deficit and expect peoples lives to get better. It's no different then China constantly loaning us money so we can keep buying their goods--while more jobs leave the U.S.

Best thing to do: Get local governments to attract manufacturing jobs--subsidized if necessary--to poor black communities. That way real income--i.e. productivity--would go up.

I didn't hear the interview, but do download the podcast for listening later. I am going to listen to it now and then opine about it. The interview is 45 minutes long, so I need to hear it the entire piece.

@Ernesto: I'm not talking about how white people treated blacks. I'm talking about how black people treated blacks.

Life sucking from external problems isn't quite the same as life sucking from societal disintegration.

There's a reason us center-right people generally hate and fear the progressive movement. Their policies are like gaping black holes; nothing can be done to save those trapped in them (and yes, I have personal family experience with this. it's horrifying).

And I know, it's not nice of me to say things like "societal disintegration." Too bad. People like you have destroyed so many lives, ruined so many futures. Stop it.

If it takes me 50 years, I'll find a way to counter-act the progressive machine and free those inside. I can't believe this has been tolerated for so long.

Well, if you believe those problems are caused by liberal white meddling, then of course targeted solutions are necessary--I've never understood this attitude of "liberal policies create poverty, but it's the poor peoples fault so they must fix it all themselves."

I guess my disagreement is what those targeted solutions would be. Me, I'd go after the progressive-induced culture hell first, along with finding a way to get manufacturing jobs into poor black communities. That would be a good time to amp up educational spending, since the economic stability would free up time for people to get through the hassle of school.

Ishamel Reed took Terry Gross to task by name some years back in his book "Airing Dirty Laundry" and a few other pieces-including his take on "Precious". He also said NPR was "about as integrated as a Georgia country club". So no surprises there.

Field, "Damn it! My birds just caught a beat down in Chi town. Lovie had his boys ready to play.We are still tied for first so Iwon't trip."

I tried to tell you earlier last week what was going to happen to your birds, but you wouldn't listen. Well, now you know to keep your Philly butts out of Chicago. Birds don't mess around with bears.lol

Now I can opine after listening to the interview. Overall it was a good interview and you can tell that Terry Gross actually read the book. Yes part of the interview goes into great detail about his early life with dealing drugs, however, it's in his book and as Field said Jay-z has made his bones glorifying his street cred. I did found that question about why performers grading their crotches, and found the answer interesting as well. However, I always wonder how much Jay-z is true and much is embellished as most rags to riches stories are exaggerated to make it sound more interesting. I have listened to her shows for years and she is known for asking penetrating questions. I remember the interview with Bill O'Reilly where he walked out before the interview was over. The interview she had with Gene Simmons was strange, and her clash with Lynn Cheney. I found the question she asked about his music were interesting, and those questions about his days of dealing were uncomfortable, but he wrote about it in his book.

I don't see Terry Gross going anyway or getting fired, one she is the co-executive producer and it's one of NPR's popular programs. If that was the case, then her clash with Bill O'Reilly should have been the point where she should have gotten fired because the Ombudsman deem the interview unfair to O'Reilly.

@anon 10:35 that's what I'm talking about.@LA I guess I'll be Miguel.@Joe, maybe I'm wrong but wasn't it conservatives in congress that blocked the stop exporting U.S. jobs bill? Sorry but I have to call bull on two things. 1. a "southern" liberal movement? WTF? I guess those were liberal ass-whoopings given to us darker people huh? 2. Any attempt to bring jobs back will be fought tooth and nail by corporations because they ain't giving up cheap labor and the conservatives are in their pockets. Who is bad mouthing unions? Whom did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce give all the money to in the last elections? If you want to see who is fighting for jobs check out the uber liberals in the Green Party and compare that to the GOP and you honestly tell me who is doing what. Conservatives don't give a damn about the working Joe, it's all about business and millionaires.

NSangoma, what does the "N" stand for? It looks like the N-word. is that what they called you when they cloned you without parents? I think they screwed up when they programmed your brain cause you don't know very many words. Most people, no matter how dumb, know more words than bitch, ho, nigguh, and yo'mama.

I am sorry they screwed you up. But hey, they learned a lot from their mistakes and know better now. Thanks for your sacrifice to science.

Do you by any chance have syphilis? I ask because you show signs of it manifesting in your brain.

Anonymous said... Blacks are headed for very tough times in America. Much of it we brought on ourselves. We put a man in the WH simply because he was Black and we are suffering the consequences and so is everyone else!

Racism? You bet. Racism is going to be rachetted up a few knotches between now and 2012. Furthermore, racism will become even more intense against Blacks after 2012.

And the Mexicans will become the 'preferred' POC and will surpass the Blacks who have been fighting for immigation. They WILL turn against us because they don't care for Blacks... Tacos, anybody?

That's what Taco bell Ernesto said. You guys are one trick ponies. You are an embarassment to bm and the zeitgeist of our times. But when you have only known bm from Detroit, Atlanta and Watts how could you know what other bm are like?

Joe said... @Ernesto: I'm not talking about how white people treated blacks. I'm talking about how black people treated blacks.

Life sucking from external problems isn't quite the same as life sucking from societal disintegration.

There's a reason us center-right people generally hate and fear the progressive movement. Their policies are like gaping black holes; nothing can be done to save those trapped in them (and yes, I have personal family experience with this. it's horrifying).

And I know, it's not nice of me to say things like "societal disintegration." Too bad. People like you have destroyed so many lives, ruined so many futures. Stop it.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wow you’re one of those brainwashed black conservative fools. First of all the black underclass has always existed. The difference is before integration they were hidden in the black community because they usually stayed with their family members who were of better means. After integration blacks who had ambition and skills chose to leave the segregated areas and move to nicer communities with other middle class blacks while the dysfunctional blacks stayed behind. The problem with dysfunctional blacks is that they suffer from their own poor personal choices so there is nothing that the so-called progressive movement did except give people greater choices like education of which some black took advantage and others did not.

If it takes me 50 years, I'll find a way to counter-act the progressive machine and free those inside. I can't believe this has been tolerated for so long.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good luck with that. You will have to change the mindset of dysfunctional blacks who are their own worst enemies.

The defense and special teams killed the Eagles. Jackson still looks shelled shocked from his concussion and is dropping too many passes. I was in an airport watching the game and when the Eagles scored the last touchdown there was a big roar because that pass Vick threw was unreal.

These granola chewing wite liberal are the same as the tobacco chewing white conservatives in one way; they have definite ideas that they believe to be absolutely correct and they never question the validity of those ideas.

We all grow up with prejudices. We are biased toward one thing or another on almost all levels.Intellectual people who really try to see the reality of the world are constantly checking their beliefs against what they truly observe. There is a constant tweeking of their consciousness and conscience.Know-it-all white people do not do this with any constancy. They have their beliefs, they can not deal with being wrong so they question nothing within themselves. Oh sure, sometimes they put on a front of humility for theater sake when they get backed against a wall, but that's the extent of it.

Shady_Grady said...Ishamel Reed took Terry Gross to task by name some years back in his book "Airing Dirty Laundry" and a few other pieces-including his take on "Precious". He also said NPR was "about as integrated as a Georgia country club". So no surprises there.

Right, because if you forbid everyone to talk about reality, deny it's there despite it being SO in your face and impacting all of american society in every corner of life, then it wont exist. We MUST be politically correct and massage reality. If the name embarasses someone, change it to be more politically correct and acceptable to society.

Yup, this has worked real well for Black Culture. There are no welfare queens, single parent homes are not made up by fathers ducking child support its all someone elses fault. As UTS would say, its just a myth. Everything in Black America is just fine and anything bad is all someone elses fault.

This is the same logic that occurs when those who disagree with Obama are called racist or those who want the rule of law to apply to Illegal aliens invading the US and taking overstrained resources are also called racist. Or those who see Islam and read the Koran and hear Muslims openly discuss killing the infidel and actually doing so, as being needlessly fearful of Muslims.

Or more simply put, anti-reality thinking all rolled up into being a delusional liberal.

Then liberals double down when things go bad and blame the persons who tried to highlight the problem to begin with.

I wonder if you go to the doctor and he tells you that you have a disease. Maybe if you tell him its racist to talk about it, or that the name must be changed to be PC, will it go away in your world? For even at the end if you have someone to blame, you still wind up living or dying with the actual disease.

Ernesto said..."If it takes me 50 years, I'll find a way to counter-act the progressive machine and free those inside. I can't believe this has been tolerated for so long."

Perhaps you should read this first, Joe:

A day in the life of Joe Conservative.

Ernesto, your falling prey to those who prey on weak minds. This is a comedy of absolutes. If every liberal were a tree hugger and every conservative were a earth pillaging animal, then your beliefs make sense. But those of us based in reality actually know things are a tad more complicated then wiberals like you woudl like us to accept.

In example. Taken directly from your Wiki post.

In the life of Joe conservative: All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance -- now Joe gets it, too

But what liberals fail to realize in the world of reality is that all actions have a reaction. Lets look at reality with your analogy of Joe conservative getting all medications for 10 dollars due to liberal activism of gimme, gimme, what someone else created

SEIU (sure you heard of that Union) Spent MILLIONS and bashed heads and did just about anything they had to in supporting Obamacare. Guess who just told all their members they are dropping health care coverage for ALL of their children? Guess the reason they told eveyone? The COST of Obamacare!!

SO who would pick up the pieces of liberals failed policies? Who then does the country turn to as adults to fix the problems they created?

Would love to see your essay on the life of a progressive. Might start off with, check mail for check. Look at self and make improvement plan to earn more - no scratch that. Sit at home and blame everyone for bad choices and lack of action.

The adults will pick up the pieces. Not because they want to help you, after all you did nothing but attack them and fight improvement. But because they must and your type as always will benefit from the society they build.

No, I am still here, just off the plantaion, so it's a little harder to stay on top of things.:)

Phil4Real, congrats to your "dirty birds" (and you are welcome for Matty Ice) but I will take my chances with those Iggles.

"Anonymous said... Blacks are headed for very tough times in America. Much of it we brought on ourselves. We put a man in the WH simply because he was Black and we are suffering the consequences and so is everyone else!"

Are the "consequences" any worse than we were suffering with all the other presidents here in A-merry-ca? I don't think so.

Yup, this has worked real well for Black Culture. There are no welfare queens, single parent homes are not made up by fathers ducking child support its all someone elses fault.

No one saying this is a myth, what is being said that is doesn't define all Black people. You must have been asleep for the last three decades, because a woman having another child doesn't increase the benefits and sitting on her ass prevents her from continuing to get welfare.

Welfare reform was enacted nationally when Clinton was president and before that in some states. This also applies for the millions more white women who are on welfare.

Never mind the facts you just must get your cookies to come where Black people are and try to insult them. You are neither more intelligent nor creative enough to change anyone's mind.

If you were concern, then you would be doing instead of blowing hot air. If its not your problem why don't you shut the eff up. You are just clogging up cyberspace and one that doesn't belong to you. Whose getting a free ride now?

@Earthbound, why don't you respond to what people write? If you can't do that why bother responding?

If you had ever read any Ishamel Reed you'd know that he has no issue calling it like he sees it no matter whose shoes get trod on.

His issue with Gross, with NPR and with a lot of what he would call pathology porn is that the spotlight is always shone very brightly on actual or perceived black shortcomings by whites (ethnic or otherwise) who somehow never quite get around to doing the same for their own particular group. His secondary point is that many so-called white liberals are in their own way just as racist as the white conservatives they inveigh against.

The rest of your post has nothing to do with anything I wrote or anyone else wrote so it's not worth responding further.

Why is it that I, a black man who goes to work, works hard, seeks ways to improve professionally at his craft, makes good money and takes care of his family, must be grouped into the same lot with blacks who screw up?

Why is it that certain folks on this blog, through their writings, are hell bent to disparage all black men?

Why is it that some of these people are quick to group all black men when speaking about calamities facing the so-called black community, but they are quick to quip treat me as an individual?

This anon really wants to know; it's not a flippant question. It seems like you think she's coming from a place of racism. You could say that directly or whatever you're implying, because I don't want to guess. I've listened to her for years and I have no idea where she's coming from, and I do want to hear your opinion.

"Now within the American culture, there are such things as the black experience and the white experience."

Of course there are real elements of black and white culture (Lawrence Welk and JayZ, for example), but all of these differences exist in a common culture that has been created by all peoples here and is unique to America. We are more alike with each other than white Americans are to Europeans or black Americans are to Africans.

Hip hop has pretty much been packaged to deliver these messages. The gangster/thug/pimp's capitalist climb documenting "authentic" exotic crime tales onto wax for the 70 percent white consumer base, is a well designed marketing system for the product to even define the performer off stage.

Jay-Z has contribute to that. It is quite apropos that his interviews are laced with condescending portrayals of him and those he claims to have been delivering narratives to.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you 100% (even though you did the same thing with Michael Vick the other day). But in all fairness Jay, produced a product for a demographic and it will always be what defines him. I mean Prince has been boxed into Purple Rain since '84. Surely Jay Z the artist understands you can't remove an image that gave you stardom so easily with a few publicity shots with Bill Gates while he tosses Basquiat references in an interview or two.

Still I agree with you, but the fact that Jay isn't call'n shyt out is because he is content with the compensation of success. It's only fair to include him in the critique.

I haven't read Jay Z's book but from what I understand he went into great detail about 'selling drugs in the projects' in his book.

Jay Z was recently on the Dave Letterman show and he spent much of the interview detailing his drug dealing.

If Jay Z didn't want to talk about drug dealing he shouldn't have featured it so prominently in his book. What else are people supposed to talk to him about? Obviously white people are FASCINATED by this aspect of Jay Z.

This anon really wants to know; it's not a flippant question. It seems like you think she's coming from a place of racism. You could say that directly or whatever you're implying, because I don't want to guess. I've listened to her for years and I have no idea where she's coming from, and I do want to hear your opinion."

I understand. And, believe me, I am not trying to be flip. It's just that answering your question would take so much more than just leaving a comment. For a start, see what Christopher Rich wrote. The A-merry-can media has some serious issues. I don't want to personalize the post to only Ms. Gross. Is she a racist? I don't know, she might or might not be. That is between Ms. Gross and her god.

earth-bound said: "The adults will pick up the pieces. Not because they want to help you, after all you did nothing but attack them and fight improvement. But because they must and your type as always will benefit from the society they build."

I have a job, pay taxes and vote. I even served in the military, so enough of your pea-brained cliches. About 58 percent of discretionary spending (my taxes) is for the military. Yet we can't find a dude living in a cave the last ten years. Are these the adults you speak of?

I will tell you what I find wrong with "Obamacare": it's in large part an insurance company bailout, yet another way that Obama, who you wingnuts vilify as a socialist, is trying so hard to breathe life into the rotting corpse of crony capitalism. Just like every president before him, and most certainly like those that will follow him. Are these the adults you speak of?

SEIU fought for a public option. They didn't get it. The insurance companies, via one of their Senate whores Max Baucus, made sure they got a mandate for us to buy their shitty product, though. Are these the adults you speak of?

bakari k did a superb job of exposing the passive racism that lies in the hearts of millions who are victims of white supremacy and too much tv/rap videos etc

there is a classic book that details such racism by well intentioned/naive liberals like terry grossas they sincerely query such fools like jay z, they expose their abject ignorance about the complex depths of black pathology...

they are unable to mask the very same racist myths they seek to explore

ie:

imagine terry interviewing eminem:

would she have asked the same questions in the same tone?even as she queried an equivalent rap icon?would she have indicted his swf mom?would she have implied that his criminality defined his entire trailer park?would she have hinted that his dad was so pathetic that records were his only legacy?might she have asked eminem about other male role models?like eminem's gay uncle who was his father figure?perhaps jay-z had superior bm role models in his extended family too no?etc...

silence is goldenand racism always shines through any convoeven in what is unspoken/implied/hinted/omitted etc

Anon, pick up Hip Hop Wars by Tricia Rose to understand what's taking place with this conveyor-belt/CORPORATE designed hambone music. I emphasize "corporate design" because they provide the greatest contribution in charging their investments with memetic velocity. Floral designers make bouquets, the flowers just sit and wait in the field.

If you have no interest in social science and/or media ecology then don't read it, but one cannot begin to abbreviate a psychologically manipulated (pentagon should be in here somewhere) market into a blog/twitter entry.

Jack Wagon you need help breaking out of your hermetically-sealed wingnut bubble. WHAT PUBLIC OPTION???? There is none! Lieberman, etc. made sure of that. Better yet, who is going to get rid of the insurance companies? As long as they are profitable (and this health care "reform" makes sure they will be) they will continue to grease the palms of congressman and presidents that they will keep in their pockets like so many nickels and dimes.

No Mr. Field, I am not LAA. She always uses a resident ID even though she is smarter than they are. She really should consider crossing over to the smart Anon side. Don't you think?

Also, I am the same Anon who watched your birdies get creamed by Da Bears. I felt bad for you.

In addition, it was me who also was wondering if you were coming back to the plantation. Actually, your absence was pretty stressful, esp on your Resident IDs. They seemed lost and started rambling, and calling people names. One Resident ID even called Sweet Sarah,- "poor white trash". Another resident followed up by calling her "rich' white trash" and considered it satire. Another Resident ID started some shit with a Black anon by calling him White! I know this is a long drawn telling, but I 'knew' you would want to KNOW... That's why I am telling you about them.

Bottom line, some of your Resident IDs were 'outrageous'. The only civil Resident IDs were FP, LAA and AB. They even gave UTS a pass. That is, they didn't slam dunk his ass like they usually do.... Hey, could it's the holidays.:D

As a side but very important issue...The anons from Anon, Inc. were like Saints while you were gone. I hope you will take this into account when it's time to renew Anon Inc's contract.:)

jay z...i really wish gross had asked him how that rebuilding of his former neighborhood project is coming along?

considering he seems to relish recounting detail by detail how he flooded it with poison despite having a crack addicted brother and seeing first hand how destructive the wares of his trade could be.

followed by progress updates on his organization/foundation for fatherless boys, like him, that may see no option but to assist in the destruction of their own communities and people to step in and pick up their mia father's responsibilities as provider. he is deep pocketed with deep pocketed friends after all...

'ole jay z will get a pass and i won't even wish gross had him to address the many ills he has helped perpetuate against bw, or mention a clip of him physically assaulting one. though it would have been interesting to hear him asked and his answer for his bw woman beating ways and if he has managed to reform himself with all the resources he now has.

there will be no comparisons by me drawn highlighting the disparity of treatment 'ole jay z may have received compared to eminem. i am having a gender first moment right now. lol. ESPECIALLY when one considers that PRIOR to the bw women beating dr dre (yeah, nwa, dee barnes beating dre. that creature.) and suge (another bw beater) knight putting eminem on, he was quite vocal in his verbal, racist attacks on bw. therefore, it is a sham to suggest that wfolks treat eminem any better than these bm and many more have.

in fact, wasn't eminem whining not too long ago that if he were black, he wouldn't catch all the flack he does about his woman hating lyrics? hmmm...about that. frankly, it would be a better expenditure of time to discuss the bm that wm have financially rewarded for publicly denigrating and degrading ww. a lot less of an exertion of energy as well. lol.

i don't think it "racist" to ask the shameless minstrel about that which he obviously wishes to discuss and profit further from. but that's just me.

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"Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call theAfroSpear.

Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslaveand African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online."~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~

"I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~